This invention refers to a system to keep any type of vessel afloat when an emergency situation arises caused by the appearance of the entry of water, a collision, filtration, grounding, or any other situation, which provides essential new characteristics and notable advantages with respect to the systems that are known and used in the current state of the art.
More specifically, the invention proposes the development of a system that provides sufficient flotation elements that are adequately effective in preventing the sinking of a vessel when an emergency like those specified earlier occurs. Activation is automatic, once the entry of water into the vessel has been detected and once the water has reached a predetermined level, said system providing flotation elements which are inflated automatically with the appropriate fluid and are in charge of keeping the vessel afloat for the time needed for different rescue and/or repair operations.
The field of application of the invention is in the naval industry dedicated to the manufacture and/or maintenance of ships, recreational and/or fishing boats and similar, as well as the rescue equipment for them.
It is a known fact that at certain times and with some frequency, very dangerous situations arise on the high seas, caused by breakage, malfunctions, leaks, accidents, etc. in which vessels are sometimes involved. These types of situations are normally very difficult to resolve, keeping in mind the difficulties to access the places in which they occur, regardless of whether this is done by sea or by air, and especially when it involves a large number of people; for this reason, many of these problems often end in catastrophe, at least for part of the people involved.
Although many vessels have some means among their customary auxiliary equipment aimed at being used in rescue operations if necessary, such as lifeboats or even individual flotation elements. Although these methods have been effective in some situations, the truth is that they have always been shown to be insufficient, and in many cases, useless, if they cannot be used due to the speed with which the catastrophe develops.
Anti-shipwreck systems are known, of the type that incorporate one or several floats coupled outside the vessel, which increases the beam and which can be inflated with pressurised air when a situation of extreme. danger arises in the case of a leak (Spanish utility model U9403303).
These floats or inflatable elements are found in grooves superimposed along the hull of the vessel (European patent EP-A-0487527); in other cases, these elements are housed even in the inside in a net wrapping (Spanish patent P9302462). U.S. Pat. No. 3,440,989 describes a fully organized, self-contained flotation unit adapted to be amounted inside a compartment of a boat, conveniently attached to the ceiling of the craft""s compartment, and deploying the flotation elements inside the craft""s compartment.
However, there are certain problems associated with the aforementioned devices and systems, such as the appearance of possible fissures, cracks, or fractures in the protection means of the inflatable elements, due to permanent direct contact with the seawater, due to contact with docks, or due to climatic factors, which may endanger the proper functioning of the anti-shipwreck system.
Another known problem associated with these systems is that their installation requires that the hull of the vessel be perforated.
Other security systems use high-pressure gas to fill the inflatable elements, with the high risk of explosion or fire that this involves.
Therefore, there is real need in practice for effective auxiliary and/or complementary systems to solve the problems of the aforementioned types, in particular when these problems represent an effective risk of the loss of human life and/or economic losses.
The main object of this invention is the provision of a flotation system that is quickly activated, able to anticipate any danger situation, and prevent a real risk for people, as well as being automatic, without the need for any intervention of the personnel on the vessel, once there is a particular elevation in the water level inside the vessel, and which will provide the means that will be capable of keeping the vessel afloat for the time needed for rescue and/or repair and/or towing of the vessel to a safe place, therefore solving the problems that exist in the known systems to obtain flotation of vessels without the requirement of auxiliary systems.
In accordance with the invention, these objectives are fully achieved with the planned system, which develops a system that can deploy a variety of flotation elements, in variable numbers depending on the type of vessel, on the outside of the hull and along a line that is at the approximate height of the flotation line. To do this, the flotation system of the invention foresees the use of detection devices inside the vessel to detect the height progressively reached by the water, so that once a predetermined level is reached, an automatic deployment mechanism is triggered. This triggering is provided by the opening of one or more electrically operated valves, which supply a pressurised fluid, which may be compressed air, industrial oxygen, or any other gas, contained in one or more tanks at a specific pressure, and which, through the proper piping, carry it to the devices that deploy the aforementioned flotation elements.
The practical realisation of the system of the present invention allows for several possibilities, which may be done with devices enclosed in the vessel and connected to the internal activation system with the proper pipes. These devices being able to have access to the outside through a predetermined area when an emergency situation arises.
As will be shown later, the characteristics inherent in each type of embodiment differ, which means that in each specific case, one or the other may be chosen depending on specific needs.
According to the invention, a possible embodiment would consist of a mechanism enclosed inside a cylindrical body, capable of axial movement inside the cylindrical body when pushed by the pressurised fluid, and able to exit through a controlled area of the hull of the vessel and thereby allow the deployment of the flotation elements. Many of these mechanisms will be arranged inside the hull of the vessel, as many as are deemed necessary to maintain flotation of the vessel in case of need, separated from one another by a predetermined distance.
Another possible embodiment has been planned to use a device that is made up of two cylinders that can be screwed together, which enclose the unfolding body. These cylinders have a larger diameter at their bases, which are adjusted to the exterior and interior part of the hull of the vessel. The base of the exterior cylinder includes a pressurised sealed closure that is adapted to it, which when pushed by the pressurised fluid allows the flotation element to unfold. The number of devices planned for use is that deemed appropriate to maintain the flotation of the vessel.
Both embodiments resolve the problems mentioned earlier since they offer the possibility of housing the flotation elements inside the vessel, which will prevent the elements from suffering any deterioration and will guarantee the perfect functioning of the system.
Also, as was described earlier, the installation of the system does not require physical or aesthetic alteration of the hull of the vessel; the flotation elements do not suffer any deterioration, and there is no risk of explosion, as occurs with other systems. This way, this system is more commercially acceptable.
This way, a system like the one developed by this invention can perfectly fulfil the mission of keeping the vessel afloat in case of a breakdown, leak, accident, or similar occurrence, regardless of the trigger or flotation mechanism used, becoming a very versatile system with very broad possibilities for use.